The Pact (Covenant) of
Umar (c. 717 A.D.) is a fundamental document in prescribing the
treatment of conquered people, or "dhimmi", by Muslims.
According to Islamic tradition, the Pact is a treaty formulated for
the treatment of the "ahl al-kitab", ("People of the
Book") - Jews and Christians - living on the lands newly
conquered and colonized by Muslims. Due to the rapid growth of
Islamic domination during 7th century, Muslims leaders were required
to work out a way of dealing with Non-Muslims, who remained in the
majority in many areas for centuries. The solution was to develop the
notion of the dhimma, people who were allowed to basically keep their
religion, but but were kept under submission by repressive rules.
Violation of the terms of the pact by Dhimmi rendered them "liable
to the penalties for contumacy and sedition."

Sometimes the Pact was
repromulgated as a reminder to forgetful dhimmi, and in so doing
Mamluk sultans during the latter Middle Ages specified that dhimmi
could not be in service to the State.

The
author of the Pact, which exists in several somewhat varied textual
forms, is generally understood by many to be the Muslim caliph Umar
ibn AbdulAziz (682 - 720), or Umar II, though it has been attributed
to the first Caliph, Umar ibn-al-Khattab (586 - 590). Some modern
scholars believe it is the product of later jurists who attributed it
to the caliph Umar in order to lend greater authority to their own
opinions, and it is assumed that it's present form dates to around
the ninth century (Sources:
David J. Jonsson, “The
Clash of Ideologies”, pp. 526-29. Mark R. Cohen, “Under
Crescent and Cross”, pp. 72,73, 163-5. Overview from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pact_of_Umar_II)

Regardless of its author,
the Pact of Umar served as one model for Muslims on how to govern
conquered non-Muslims, a roles it continues to the present day.
Inspiration for this treatment may have come from non-Islamic
sources, as well as the overall moderate first Caliph, Umar
ibn-al-Khattab (author of the less restrictive "Umari Treaty"
for dhimmi in Jerusalem). The 11th century, A.D. book, "Rules
and Regulations Governing the People of the Book", by Muslim
theologian “ Ibn Hazm (994-1064), states,

“These
are the Rules and Regulations that were imposed by ‘Umar
ibn-al-Khattab' [634–44] on the Christians of Syria, after
conquering their land. The purpose of these rules was to make them
submissive and contemptible. Christians were in no way to exhibit any
sign of their unbelief, or anything forbidden in Islam; since Allah,
the supremely Glorified and Honored, had said:

And
fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for
Allah. But if they cease, then lo! Allah is Seer of what they do.”
Qur'an 8:39 (Pickthall’s Translation) (Source:
Jacob Thomas, The Onerous Rules & Regulations Imposed on the
People of the Book”, answering-islam.org)

See
here
on contradictions between the teaching of the Bible
and the Qu'ran
regarding this and other doctrines.

Pact of
Umar

We heard from Abd
al-Rahman ibn Ghanam [died 697 A.D.] as follows: When Umar ibn
al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, accorded a peace to the
Christians of Syria, we wrote to him as follows:

In the name of Allah, the
Merciful and Compassionate. This is a letter to the servant of Allah
Umar [ibn al-Khattab], Commander of the Faithful, from the Christians
of such-and-such a city. When you came against us, we asked you for
safe-conduct (aman) for ourselves, our descendants, our property, and
the people of our community, and we undertook the following
obligations toward you:

We
shall not build, in our cities or in their neighborhood, new
monasteries, Churches, convents, or monks' cells, nor shall we
repair, by day or by night, such of them as fall in ruins or are
situated in the quarters of the Muslims.

We
shall keep our gates wide open for passersby and travelers. We shall
give board and lodging to all Muslims who pass our way for three
days.

We
shall not give shelter in our churches or in our dwellings to any
spy, nor bide him from the Muslims.

We
shall not teach the Qur'an to our children.

We
shall not manifest our religion publicly nor convert anyone to it.
We shall not prevent any of our kin from entering Islam if they wish
it.

We
shall show respect toward the Muslims, and we shall rise from our
seats when they wish to sit.

We
shall not seek to resemble the Muslims by imitating any of their
garments, the qalansuwa, the turban, footwear, or the parting of the
hair. We shall not speak as they do, nor shall we adopt their
kunyas.

We
shall not mount on saddles, nor shall we gird swords nor bear any
kind of arms nor carry them on our- persons.

We
shall not engrave Arabic inscriptions on our seals.

We
shall not sell fermented drinks.

We
shall clip the fronts of our heads.

We
shall always dress in the same way wherever we may be, and we shall
bind the zunar round our waists

We
shall not display our crosses or our books in the roads or markets
of the Muslims.

We
shall use only clappers in our churches very softly. We shall not
raise our voices when following our dead.

We
shall not show lights on any of the roads of the Muslims or in their
markets. We shall not bury our dead near the Muslims.

We
shall not take slaves who have been allotted to Muslims.

We
shall not build houses overtopping the houses of the Muslims.

(When
I brought the letter to Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, he
added, "We shall not strike a Muslim.")

We
accept these conditions for ourselves and for the people of our
community, and in return we receive safe-conduct.

If
we in any way violate these undertakings for which we ourselves
stand surety, we forfeit our covenant [dhimma], and we become liable
to the penalties for contumacy and sedition.

Umar
ibn al-Khittab replied: Sign what they ask, but add two clauses and
impose them in addition to those which they have undertaken. They
are: "

"They
shall not buy anyone made prisoner by the Muslims," and

"Whoever
strikes a Muslim with deliberate intent shall forfeit the protection
of this pact."